Felt pit belt for bowling machines



Dec. 19, 1967 F. A. KOHLHAGEN ET AL 3,

FELT PIT BELT FOR BOWLING MACHINES Filed Feb. 18, 1966 Fig./

Fig. 3 Frederick A.Kohlhagen 38 40 Charles N. Fa/Ieffa m% m INVENTORS I M -mm United States Patent 3,358,813 FELT PIT BELT FOR BOWLING MACHINES Frederick A. Kohihagen, 125 Cedar Road 14215, and

Charles N. Falletta, 220 Camden 14216, both of Buffalo, N.Y.

Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 528,556 1 Claim. (Cl. 198-193) The present invention generally relates to an improved and novel conveyor belt for use as the pit belt in automatic bowling machines.

In present day automatic bowling machines, the pit which is disposed rearwardly of the pin deck is provided with a conveyor belt. Also, rearwardly of the pin deck, there is usually provided an impact curtain assembly and a back stop which serve to catch the bowling pins and bowling ball so that the pins and ball will then be deposited downwardly onto the pit belt for discharge into the automatic pin spotter and ball return mechanism in a conventional manner. One of the problems presently existent in automatic bowling machines is the fact that the bowling balls and pins are sometimes marked when they strike the impact curtain, backstop or the conveyor belt in the pit due to the particular materials from which the impact curtain, backdrop and especially the conveyor belt are constructed since these items must be durable and long lasting and capable of withstanding repeated impact and engagement by the bowling balls and pins.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pit conveyor belt provided with a relatively soft felt covering which will not only eliminate marking of the pins and balls but which also will clean the pins and balls due to engagement of the pins and balls with the felt surface. This same felt'covered conveyor belt material may be employed in the impact curtain assembly as well as the backstop assembly for the same purpose, namely, eliminating marking of the balls and pins and at the same time cleaning the balls and pins when they engage the impact curtain or backstop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pit conveyor belt for automatic bowling machines which has a substantially soft felt covering which will not mark or soil bowling balls or pins and which will also serve to clean the bowling balls and pins when they are engaged with the present invention not altering the normal operational procedure of the automatic bowling machine and being employed as a substitute for the presently available conventional pit belt without any alternation to the automatic bowling machine. This enables the pit conveyor belt with the felt covering thereon of the present invention to be incorporated into automatic bowling machines in a simple and efficient manner with the cost thereof being retained substantially the same as the cost of present day pit conveyor belts.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to ilke parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic View illustrating a pit conveyor belt constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the conveyor belt illustrating the structure thereof and manner of connecting the ends of the belt to form an endless belt; and

FIGURE 3 is a detailed sectional view illustrating another structural arrangement for interconnecting the ends of the conveyor belt.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 3,358,813 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 10 generally designates the pit conveyor belt of the present invention which receives bowling balls 12 and bowling pins 14 which are knocked from the pin deck 16 in the usual manner. An impact curtain 18 and back stop or impact cushion 20 is also normally provided together with mechanism for picking up the pins and balls, spotting the pins and returning the balls to the other end of the bowling alley. This structure represents conventional automatic bowling machines and forms no part of the present invention except that the conveyor 10 in the pit will operate in the same manner and be oriented in relation to the pit in the same manner and includes the usually provided spaced end rollers or pulleys 22 mounted on and carried by a suitable shaft 24.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the pit conveyor belt 10 includes a backing material 26 with an outer facing or covering of felt material 28 that may be secured thereto in any suitable manner such as by bonding and the like. The ends of the conveyor belt are interconnected by lacing 30 or other suitable means with the abutting ends of the felt covering being designated by the numeral 32 and oriented in such a manner that the felt covering completely covers the lacing 30 and prevents any pos sible contact between the lacing 30 and the pins or balls.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a modified form of connection between the end of the conveyor belt in which the flexible backing 34 has the ends thereof overlapped as at 36 thus providing what may be considered a concealed joint 38 between the abutting ends of the felt covering 40.

In some instances, the conveyor belt may be con structed of an endless backing member that is constructed of a continuous and endless tubular member. The felt-like material will continually clean the ball and pins and it is relatively soft and durable so that the balls and pins will not be scratched.

Present day pit belts, impact curtains, backstops, cushions and the like frequently use rubber pigments which have a heavy layer of rubber on the surface. This renders such devices relatively long lasting but also introduces a problem of marking the white bowling pins and also marking and scratching the balls. Also, the heavy layer of rubber collects dirt, grease and the like and transfers such dirt to the bowling balls and pins. The use of this particular pit conveyor belt with the felt covering will enable the normally provided pin dusting cloth and ball wiping cloth which are included in present day automatic bowling machines to be eliminated.

In normal operations, as the bowling ball hits the pins, they are driven or knocked into the impact curtain and the bowling pins fall into the pit onto the conveyor belt and it is during this operation that the bowling pins and balls get dirty and are marked. The many various types of conveyor belts used as a pit conveyor belt are virtually impossible to clean. However, the present felt covered pit conveyor belt will not only eflectively clean the bowling pins and bowling balls but also can be easily cleaned. The soft felt material completely covering the belt eliminates any possibility of the balls or pins coming into contact with the lacing or other connecting means used for connecting the ends of the belt. Also, the felt material will not absorb oil or dirt but even if it becomes soiled, it can be easily cleaned by using conventional foam-type detergents or the like without any harm to its physical properties. Additionally, the felt material will act as a cushion or resilient surface for reducing damage to the pins and balls due to contact or impact therewith. Further, the conveyor belt assembly may be employed as the impact curtain or a cover for the back stop to further enable cleaning of the pins and balls, eliminate damage or scratching thereof and also eliminate marking thereof during the normal bowling operation.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In automatic bowling pin spotting mechanism wherein a pit conveyor means is arranged to receive struck bowling pins and bowling balls thereon for removal and reuse, the conveyor means including a pit conveyor belt forming a part of said mechanisms to receive bowling pins and bowling balls, the improvement comprising said pit conveyor belt being formed from a lamination of a backing material and an outer facing of felt material bonded to the backing material, said felt material completely covering the backing material and being relatively soft as compared with the backing material to eliminate marking of the pins and balls when engaged therewith and also serving to clean the pins and balls when engaged therewith, said backing material being in the form of a flexible belt member having the ends thereof secured together by fastening means, said fastening means for the belt member being completely covered by the felt material to eliminate any contact between the bowling pins and balls and the belt fastener, said felt material being relatively thick as compared with the backing material for providing a cushioning resilient surface for the pins and balls thereby reducing damage thereto due to contact or impact therewith, said backing material having substantially higher strength characteristics than the felt material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,312 1/1911 Robins 198-193 1,053,554 2/1913 Beadle 75-97 1,747,752 2/1930 Brandt 1331 2,195,371 3/1940 Moore 198-193 3,079,155 2/1963 Koelliker 27353 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner. 

